Violet Stardust

Violet Stardust is a roguelike card battler made by a solo developer, and it has moved from development to a full release. The game is built around two interconnected decks. A Room Deck determines the path through each run: playing Room Cards takes the player to new locations where they may encounter enemies, search for cards, recover from earlier battles or find crafting opportunities. Between rooms, the player chooses new Room Cards to add to the deck, gradually shaping the world they will encounter. Certain rooms bring a powerful boss closer, so the player must decide how far to push a run before facing it.

Combat uses a Creature Deck made up of cards with different attack values, health and special abilities. Battles take place across a battlefield of lanes, where positioning is part of the tactics: creatures can be placed to block incoming attacks, break through enemy defences or strike the opponent directly. Some cards work on their own, while others depend on being combined with particular abilities and strategies. The game also includes a crafting system, allowing players to combine Room Cards into new locations, transfer abilities between creature cards and merge matching cards to strengthen the deck.

Progress is not entirely lost when a run ends. A feature called the Printing Press lets players preserve cards they have found, permanently unlocking them as options for future starting decks. The game features randomised runs, dozens of creatures with individual stats and abilities, boss encounters that build over the course of a run, and a retro pixel art presentation.